AthlonSports.com - Texas A&M Aggieshttp://athlonsports.com/category/cfb-teams/texas-am-aggies
enThe SEC's Top 20 Must-See Games of 2014http://athlonsports.com/college-football/secs-top-20-must-see-games-2014
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p><img alt="" src="http://shop.athlonsports.com/images/v12_Miss-MSU_2014.jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 199px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 4px; float: right;" />The SEC is still the nation&rsquo;s best conference. No conference in the nation can match the week-in, week-out grind that the SEC offers from Aug.&nbsp;28&nbsp;through Championship Saturday on Dec. 6.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The round robin in both divisions should be superb to watch every single week. Top that off with marquee non-conference showdowns with the Big 12 (Oklahoma, Kansas State), the Big Ten (Wisconsin) and ACC (Florida State, Clemson) and there are no breathers in this conference.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>It makes for an extremely lengthy list of must-see games this fall.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/alabama-crimson-tide.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/auburn-tigers.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" />1. Auburn at Alabama (Nov. 29)</h5><p>Not only are in-state and conference bragging rights on the line for 364 days in the nation&rsquo;s biggest event this year, but the winner of this one game also played in each of the final five&nbsp;BCS National Championship Games. And after the way last year&rsquo;s clash ended, fans can bet the intensity will reach a fevered pitch by Rivalry Week&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;especially, if there is as much on the line in 2014 as there was last fall.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/lsu-tigers.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/alabama-crimson-tide.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" />2. Alabama at LSU (Nov. 8)</h5><p>The Tigers aren&rsquo;t picked to finish first, second or third in the SEC West but that doesn&rsquo;t take much away from what is a yearly battle between these two powerhouses. Bama doesn&rsquo;t have too many tests this fall and a trip to Baton Rouge might be its toughest test&nbsp;(until the Iron Bowl). Nick Saban has won three straight overall in this series and has won two of the last three trips to the Bayou.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/south-carolina-gamecocks.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/georgia-bulldogs.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" />3. Georgia at South Carolina (Sept. 13)</h5><p>The SEC East title could be on the line in Week 3 when these two tangle in Columbia. South Carolina lost narrowly in Athens last year after three straight relatively easy wins over the Dawgs from 2010-12. Georgia last won at South Carolina in 2008.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/auburn-tigers.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/lsu-tigers.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" />4. LSU at Auburn (Oct. 4)</h5><p>The battle of Tigers from Auburn and LSU is one of the yearly treats for SEC fans. Last fall, LSU was the only team to beat Auburn in the regular season and it wasn&rsquo;t really competitive. Revenge will certainly be on the minds of Gus Malzahn and his squad. The right to challenge Alabama likely also hangs in the balance for this early October meeting as well.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/clemson-tigers.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/south-carolina-gamecocks.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" />5. South Carolina at Clemson (Nov. 29)</h5><p>As far as deeply entrenched rivalries and overall importance of the game to the national landscape go, it&#39;s hard to argue the Palmetto State season finale won&#39;t be one the biggest non-conference games of the year. Carolina and Steve Spurrier are eyeing an SEC East title and possible playoff berth, so a loss to the Tigers for the first time since 2008 would be crippling to those hopes.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/mississippi-rebels.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/auburn-tigers.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" />6. Auburn at Ole Miss (Nov. 1)</h5><p>With the recent influx of talent, Ole Miss finds itself closer to the top of the West Division&nbsp;than the bottom. That means home tests against conference front-runners become marquee showdowns. The Tigers have won eight of the last 10 against the Rebels but Ole Miss dominated Auburn the last time they visited (41-20 in 2012) and has won two out of three in Oxford.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/georgia-bulldogs.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/auburn-tigers.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" />7. Auburn at Georgia (Nov. 15)</h5><p>The Deep South&rsquo;s Oldest Rivalry offered fans one of the most remarkable games in SEC history last fall. While the 2014 edition will be hard pressed to match last year&rsquo;s drama, the gravity of this year&rsquo;s showdown could be much greater as both teams eye a College Football Playoff berth. Auburn hasn&rsquo;t won in Athens since 2005.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/auburn-tigers.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/south-carolina-gamecocks.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" />8. South Carolina at Auburn (Oct. 25)</h5><p>Auburn got no favors this fall by having to face the top two contenders in the East in crossover play. The difference is the lack of history between these two SEC title contenders. The duo has played just 11 times and Auburn holds&nbsp;a commanding 9-1-1 lead in the series. The Gamecocks would have won the East had it not lost the last meeting in Columbia in 2011. South Carolina&rsquo;s lone win over Auburn came way back in 1933.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/georgia-bulldogs.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/florida-gators.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" />9. Florida vs. Georgia (Nov. 1, Jacksonville)</h5><p>This game is massive for both teams, but especially Gators head coach Will Muschamp. He&rsquo;s 0-3 against UGA and will need a win in Jacksonville to stay in East contention. Despite winning three straight, Mark Richt&rsquo;s squad was anything but dominating as it has won those three contests by a combined 15 points.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/florida-gators.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; float: right; margin: 2px;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/lsu-tigers.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" />10. LSU at Florida (Oct. 11)</h5><p>Looking for a midseason signature win for Florida to prove it&#39;s back in the SEC mix? This is the one Les Miles better be circling. The home team has won the Muschamp-Miles bout in each of the three years, including a 14-6 suffocating home win for the Gators in 2012. Miles is 1-3 in The Swamp.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/alabama-crimson-tide.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/florida-gators.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" />11. Florida at Alabama (Sept. 20)</h5><p>Don&rsquo;t expect Florida to win the game but any time these two marquee southern brands step onto the same field, it&rsquo;s must-see theatre. Should Florida acquit itself well early in the season &mdash;&nbsp;even in defeat &mdash;&nbsp;it could be a sign of much bigger things to come for both. Like a possible rematch in Atlanta where these two have staged monumental national title bouts in recent years.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/lsu-tigers.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/mississippi-rebels.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" />12. Ole Miss at LSU (Oct. 25)</h5><p>Ole Miss has won just three of the last 12 meetings between these two. But that includes last year&rsquo;s 27-24 thriller in Oxford and an even 3-3&nbsp;split in the last six bouts. Yet, Ole Miss has played surprisingly well in Baton Rouge. In their last nine trips to the Bayou, the Rebels have won four times. LSU needs to be on high alert when Colonel Reb comes to town for Halloween weekend.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/wisconsin-badgers.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/lsu-tigers.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" />13. LSU vs. Wisconsin (Aug. 30, Houston)</h5><p>From a pure entertainment standpoint, the Tigers-Badgers semi-neutral field battle in Houston might be the one to watch in &#39;14. This game will feature what should be two equally matched opponents, both of whom are expecting to compete for division titles in their respective conferences. LSU and Wisconsin feature two of the best power running games in the land and this game will be a throwback showcase for both.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/georgia-bulldogs.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/clemson-tigers.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" />14. Clemson at Georgia (Aug. 30)</h5><p>Last year&#39;s meeting was an epic offensive showdown that featured elite playmakers and provided a memorable experience for everyone. This year, Clemson&#39;s defense is its strength while Georgia returns nine starters on D. With two new quarterbacks for both teams, expect a sloppier performance from both offenses in the first week of the season &mdash; which could be equally as entertaining.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/florida-gators.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/south-carolina-gamecocks.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" />15. South Carolina at Florida (Nov. 15)</h5><p>It may not be the prettiest game that is played in the SEC, but the East Division could hang in the balance when these two physical programs get together late in November. The Steve Spurrier Bowl is always quirky and the last time the Head Ball Coach visited the Swamp his team was smoked 44-11.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/mississippi-rebels.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/alabama-crimson-tide.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" />16. Alabama at Ole Miss (Oct. 4)</h5><p>Much like Auburn, a division front-runner from the state of Alabama will have to win in Oxford if it wants to earn a trip to Atlanta. The Crimson Tide has won 10 straight over the Rebels and has outscored Ole Miss 155-34 over the last five. Nick Saban has never lost in Oxford going 5-0 with both Bama and LSU.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/44740-1/FSU-logo-new.jpg" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/florida-gators.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" />17. Florida at Florida State (Nov. 29)</h5><p>This was a blowout a year ago but Florida expects to be much improved and the historic Sunshine State rivalry could hold national championship implications for the Seminoles. Florida may have the best roster of any team Florida State will face in the regular season so fans should expect a much closer bout this time around &mdash; as long as the Gators&#39; coaching staff is still intact by season&#39;s end.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/mississippi-rebels.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/mississippi-state-bulldogs.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" />18. Mississippi State at Ole Miss (Nov. 29)</h5><p>Last season&#39;s Egg Bowl was one for the ages and the 2014 edition could be even better. Both programs are surging entering this season&nbsp;with eyes on finally contending in the West Division. Both have proven quarterbacks and respected coaches as well as defenses that are deeper and more talented than possibly ever before. MSU head coach Dan Mullen is 4-1 against Ole Miss.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/missouri-tigers.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/georgia-bulldogs.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" />19. Georgia at Missouri (Oct. 11)</h5><p>If the Dawgs are the front-runner in the East then the trips to both Columbias might be the biggest games of the year in the division. Georgia knocked James Franklin out of this game last year and still couldn&rsquo;t beat the Tigers at home. Now, UGA must head up to the Show Me State and show the SEC it is the top Dawg in the East.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/kansas-state-wildcats.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/auburn-tigers.png" style="width: 50px; height: 50px; margin: 2px; float: right;" />20. Auburn at Kansas State (Sept. 18)</h5><p>Gus Malzahn&#39;s offense led by Nick Marshall and a deep receiving corps faces Bill Snyder&#39;s defensive wizardry on the road on a Thursday night. Both teams will have extra time to prepare for the primetime mid-week meeting and both will be contenders for their respective conference championships. From a coaching standpoint, it doesn&#39;t get much better than Malzahn vs. Snyder.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family: helveticaneue-medium, helvetica; font-size: 26px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">Best of the Rest:</h4><p>&nbsp;</p><p>21. Auburn at Mississippi State (Oct. 11)</p><p>22. Mississippi State at Alabama (Nov. 15)</p><p>23. Mississippi State at LSU (Sept. 20)</p><p>24. Texas A&amp;M at Alabama (Oct. 18)</p><p>25. Missouri at South Carolina (Sept. 27)</p><p>26. Texas A&amp;M at Auburn (Nov. 8)</p><p>27. Missouri at Florida (Oct. 18)</p><p>28. Missouri at Texas A&amp;M (Nov. 15)</p><p>29. Texas A&amp;M at Mississippi State</p><p>30. Texas A&amp;M at South Carolina (Aug. 28)</p><p>31. LSU at Arkansas (Nov. 15)</p><p>32. Ole Miss at Vanderbilt (Aug. 6)</p><p>33. Florida at Vanderbilt (Nov. 8)</p><p>34. Tennessee at Vanderbilt (Nov. 29)</p><p>35. Florida at Tennessee (Oct. 4)</p> </div></div></div>Wed, 20 Aug 2014 12:30:00 +0000Braden Gall73950 at http://athlonsports.comSEC Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2014http://athlonsports.com/college-football/sec-coaches-talk-anonymously-about-conference-foes-2014
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/44333-1/LSUmascot3002.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 392px; margin: 3px; float: right;" />It&#39;s not easy getting college football coaches to honestly comment on another coach, player or team. Most coaches don&#39;t want to give opposing teams billboard material, which is why there is a lot of coach speak or overused cliches used during the year.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In order to get an accurate assessment of teams heading into 2014, Athlon asked coaches in the SEC to talk anonymously about their opponents.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><em><strong>Note: These scouting reports come directly from coaching staffs and do not necessarily reflect the views of Athlon&#39;s editorial staff.</strong></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;">SEC Coaches Anonymously Scout Conference Foes</h4><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><strong>East Division</strong></h4><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><strong>Florida</strong></h5><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/florida-gators.png" style="width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 3px; float: right;" />&ldquo;They are the ones that I think can have the quickest turnaround because of who they have on defense.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Their talent on defense is fantastic, but that talent didn&rsquo;t always work hard last year. There were a lot of guys who were worried about next-level play instead of worrying about this level of play.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;If they can stay healthy offensively, they can have a quick turnaround. They&rsquo;ve got a lot of talent on defense I&rsquo;m not saying they&rsquo;ll make it to a national championship game, but they could have an Auburn-like turnaround.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;They didn&rsquo;t have a lot of guys that could make plays at wideout, which is amazing at a place like Florida.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;The quarterback situation is bad. When Jeff Driskel got hurt, the kid that left in the offseason (Jacoby Brissett) could have played but they didn&rsquo;t have anybody there. Driskel goes down and the offense was devastated. That&rsquo;s the danger of when you stockpile a bunch of quarterbacks or you miss on a quarterback. All of a sudden your starter gets hurt and then the guy who wasn&rsquo;t the starter but was pretty good leaves. The days of waiting until the fifth year to start are few and far between.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;They lost Jon Halapio, who was a good player but was dinged up. When you have to play a lot of guys up front, it usually pays dividends down the road. Maybe that&rsquo;s what happens for them&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Kurt Roper is a sharp guy.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III was one of the best young players I have seen in the game in a long time, and he deserved every bit of accolades that came his way.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Their defensive line was the freakin&rsquo; real deal. Darious Cummings, an inside guy, he&rsquo;s a pretty powerful guy in there. Tough to handle. They&rsquo;ve done a good job recruiting defensive linemen.&rdquo;&hellip;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><strong>Georgia</strong></h5><p><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/georgia-bulldogs.png" style="width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 3px; float: right;" />&ldquo;They were pretty darn young on defense, which isn&rsquo;t always an excuse, because they were loaded there.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Youth is more important with offense than defense. A young defense can really struggle.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;They have talent on defense, but the talent has to play hard. (Former defensive coordinator) Todd Grantham is a good coach, but his guys didn&rsquo;t always seem to play hard.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve had guys dismissed at defensive back, which will hurt.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;With the new defensive coordinator (Jeremy Pruitt) it will be a learning curve but they are very talented. They were very young last year.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Replacing the quarterback is a big, big loss. Aaron Murray was a heckuva player. Last I heard they are pretty high on the new guy (Hutson Mason) but to ask him to do all the things Murray did will be tough. Just his overall command of the offense and his composure was impressive.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what they have coming back up front offensively but it seemed they had a pretty good core coming back.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;The running back, Todd Gurley, as long as he can stay healthy, he&rsquo;s the real deal. He&rsquo;s big time.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Gurley is as good as I have seen in the league. I think he is better than the backs that Alabama has had. He has game-changing ability. The Bama backs have all been good, but they have had great talent around them. Gurley is great without any help. Nobody wants to tackle the kid, and he runs away from everybody on the defense.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Any time you have inexperience, it&rsquo;s going to sting you eventually. That was kind of their deal was their lack of experience.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;They recruit so well that there won&rsquo;t be a huge dropoff, and last year&rsquo;s injuries were brutal. Everybody in the SEC East has questions next year &ndash; everybody. So it will be an interesting year.&rdquo;&hellip;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><br /><strong>Kentucky</strong></h5><p><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/kentucky-wildcats.png" style="width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 3px; float: right;" />&ldquo;Just average. That&rsquo;s the reality of the situation.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;I know they have to be excited about the quarterback, Drew Barker. We loved him coming out. He&rsquo;s the real deal. There&rsquo;s one thing that&rsquo;s hurt them in the past, they haven&rsquo;t had solid quarterback play in a long time. They might give him a baptism by fire and just throw him in, see what he can do. What else do they have there? Probably not much. Might as well.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;I think they liked a few things Max Smith did there but I&rsquo;m not sure he&rsquo;s the answer long term.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Mark Stoops deserves a lot of credit for getting the recruiting pieces he needs. They&rsquo;ve recruited really well.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Some of the guys they have coming in are not typical Kentucky players. Getting the 370-pound nose tackle (Matt Elam) over Alabama? That doesn&rsquo;t happen at Kentucky. They haven&rsquo;t had talent there for a long time. Now they have to do something with the talent. I hope they give him time to do so.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;As far as the roster returning, they had some decent linebacker play and both defensive ends are decent &ndash; not spectacular but decent. That pretty much sums it up.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;They have a good coaching staff but the players they inherited don&rsquo;t really jump out at you or scare you.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&quot;I liked the linebacker (Avery Williamson), he was active and a good tackler, but he&rsquo;s gone now.&rdquo;&hellip;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><br /><strong>Missouri</strong></h5><p><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/missouri-tigers.png" style="width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 3px; float: right;" />&ldquo;They are replacing a lot on the defensive front and the quarterback, though I think they like the young guy, Maty Mauk.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;They lose a middle linebacker that was really physical, a straight-line guy but really solid. One of the inside guys was a senior as well. They&rsquo;ll have some work to do from that regard&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;What a blessing that quarterback situation was. James Franklin was in and out because of injury but with Mauk coming in to play, now they know what they have and I think they like what they have. It&rsquo;s a positive experience for them. That will work out well for them in the long run.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;The wideouts were matchup problems, but the top three receivers from last year are gone.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;The running back, Josey, was a senior. They&rsquo;ve got some work to do in the running game.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Maty Mauk is a tough competitor, comes from good football family. Experience he gained from last year will pay huge dividends. That stuff still counts.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;For what they do, their offensive line is very effective. They aren&rsquo;t overpowering guys, won&rsquo;t maul people out there but are good at space blocking. Evan Boehm is a really good player.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;They&rsquo;ll ride the Mauk kid I&rsquo;m sure. Their receivers are so rangy and long and can get downfield in a hurry that they will make life easier for Mauk in his first full year. Some of those guys you can get physical with, but for the most part that offense will get theirs.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;It&rsquo;s inevitable that they will take a step back on defense next year. Any time you lose that many guys on the defensive front, you are going to take a step back.&rdquo;&hellip;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><br /><strong>South Carolina</strong></h5><p><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/south-carolina-gamecocks.png" style="width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 3px; float: right;" />&ldquo;We thought Connor Shaw was outstanding. The other kid (Dylan Thompson) got a lot of good reps. But Shaw was what made everything work there.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;When they were really getting it, Mike Davis ran hard. I would put him right in there with Todd Gurley as far as SEC East backs who are big time.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;I thought the inside guy, Kelcy Quarles, was a really good player &ndash; it wasn&rsquo;t just Clowney there. I don&rsquo;t know how the depth is there.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Most will say Clowney was this or that &ndash; I&rsquo;ll tell you, you had to gameplan for him. You had to have a special plan for him, anybody who said they didn&rsquo;t was full of (expletive). That was the one guy in the county you had to do that for. That changes things for them. We had protections designed to slide toward him so we were not putting tackles in a lot of one-on-one situations. I didn&rsquo;t think their other ends were incredibly great, so they won&rsquo;t command that sort of attention.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;The safeties were OK.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Thompson is probably a lot like the Mauk kid. Like Georgia and Mizzou, they all had quarterbacks that were their guys, but at one point or another the starters got hurt and backups came in and got valuable experience.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Traditionally South Carolina was always at seven or eight wins and Steve has been able to get them up to the 10-win mark, which is impressive. It will be interesting to see how much longer he&rsquo;ll go.&rdquo;&hellip;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><br /><strong>Tennessee</strong></h5><p><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/tennessee-volunteers.png" style="width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 3px; float: right;" />&ldquo;They are still trying to figure themselves out. They&rsquo;ve recruited well but they are replacing all five starters up front that will be a heckuva task there now. They lost a lot of starts there, including the Tiny Richardson kid who was powerful.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;You want to catch those guys early. You don&rsquo;t want to play them late because they&rsquo;ll be better but will be a little disjointed early. They&rsquo;ll have a lot of young guys playing so you want to catch them in September. Get them before they kind of get their feet on the ground.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;I like linebacker A.J. Johnson. I was surprised he came back. I thought he might&rsquo;ve declared. He was a good player. Very active.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Their defensive line was average, linebackers are pretty good, secondary wise they were young and weren&rsquo;t overly impressive as far as being an SEC-caliber defense but that youth will help them.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;The biggest question on offense is replacing those linemen.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;I thought quarterback Josh Dobbs was average. He&rsquo;s a really smart kid and all that stuff, but from a talent and skill level, average. I&rsquo;m talking about precision, getting the ball out on time, throwing with accuracy -&nbsp;you like to have a guy who can push the ball downfield. He was average in those areas, but a lot of that comes with young, so maybe he can develop that. Some guys need to see a guy wide open before they throw the ball and it&rsquo;s too late. That&rsquo;s the difference between good and great ones, getting the ball on time.&rdquo;&hellip;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><br /><strong>Vanderbilt</strong><br />&nbsp;</h5><p><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/i.athcdn.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/vanderbilt-commodores.png" style="width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 3px; float: right;" />&ldquo;Losing Jordan Mathews is going to be huge for them. That&rsquo;s 100-plus catches that they&rsquo;ll have to replace. That&rsquo;s the biggest question mark.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;On defense -&nbsp;they lost the whole secondary, basically. Thy have some good young talent in there but it&rsquo;s unproven.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;On the front, the defensive front should be pretty solid. They have some really good young linebackers, three guys I think could be impactful, but they are going to a 3-4 under Derek Mason, so I&rsquo;m curious how they&rsquo;ll fit those guys into the personnel.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;The defensive ends left there were pretty solid. The front seven will be solid and can compete each week in the SEC. The secondary is the big question mark.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;On offense, I don&rsquo;t know how many catches they have coming back at receiver &ndash; it might be less than 30.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;The quarterback situation, the Johnny McCrary kid&rsquo;s very talented but a little bit of a loose cannon. Patton Robinette is a really solid kid but can he carry them late in games? I don&rsquo;t know.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;The offensive line guys, they lost Wesley Johnson, who was one of the best lineman in the league, but they have a lot returning, a lot of guys that know how to win in the SEC. that will help them.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;The previous staff recruited well, so there is some talent on that roster.&rdquo;&hellip;<br />&nbsp;</p><p><em>Listen to the Cover 2 college football podcast&nbsp;with guest Steven Godfrey:</em></p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="50" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/2996251/height/50/width/540/theme/standard/direction/no/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/" style="border: none" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="540"></iframe></p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;">&nbsp;</h4><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;">West Division</h4><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><br /><strong>Alabama</strong></h5><p><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/alabama-crimson-tide.png" style="width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 3px; float: right;" />&ldquo;Defensively they&rsquo;ll be OK, probably won&rsquo;t be up to their great standard. Losing Deion Belue, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Vinnie Sunseri &ndash; that&rsquo;s really going to hurt on the back end. Linebackers, they&rsquo;ll be slightly above average. Up front on the defensive line they might actually be better. D.J. Pettway is a more disciplined a player than Adrian Hubbard.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;The quarterback, I don&rsquo;t know who it will be. It&rsquo;s almost like what they do in the spring really doesn&rsquo;t matter because they are bringing in (FSU transfer Jacob Coker).&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;It&rsquo;s probably the best receiving corps as a whole since Nick&rsquo;s been there.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;The running backs are really solid, not as good as the 2010 lineup but really good. Kenyon Drake is maturing and Derrick Henry is doing a lot better with protections, assignments, developing the passing game &ndash; he could always run the ball.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Losing Chad Lindsay is going to hurt because they had depth issues at offensive line. I think they wanted to move Ryan Kelly to left tackle. Now they have to rely on some young kids coming in.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />As it sits, Alabama might be an eight-win team on paper. Obviously a lot hinges on how well the FSU kid does coming in -&nbsp;will be make or break the season? The freshman, David Cornwell, is not ready. If they have to go with Blake Sims, their offensive play-calling will be very limited. They would run the ball a lot, wouldn&rsquo;t be very exotic with the passing game.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;It will be interesting to watch Lane Kiffin run the offense &ndash; Doug Nussmeier was really good. Lane can do it but I&rsquo;m curious to see how strong his running concepts are with this team, because that&rsquo;s obviously a big strength for them.&rdquo;&hellip;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><strong>Arkansas</strong></h5><p><br /><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/i.athcdn.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/arkansas-razorbacks.png" style="width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 3px; float: right;" />&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t think they were very explosive last year with some of their skill players on the offensive side of the ball.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;The secondary was not really impressive.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;They did have a couple of good defensive linemen, especially Chris Smith, but he&rsquo;s gone now.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;They will continue to struggle a little bit. They should be better but continuing to struggle.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Based on what they are doing, I just don&rsquo;t think they can score enough. It starts with the offense &ndash; they are not set up to score a lot of points. It&rsquo;s ball control, grind it out, I-formation, play-action football.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Their quarterback is back (Brandon Allen) and they should be better as a result, but I&rsquo;m not sure if he&rsquo;s the answer long-term.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Alex Collins is a hard-nosed runner, physical kid. I do really like him. He can get them tough yards and a few scores. But that can&rsquo;t be your whole offense.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;They have a hard time covering in the secondary. They sort of regressed as the year went on. They were probably better early on because they still had the confidence.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Keep in mind, Bret didn&rsquo;t inherit much. The recruiting transition from Petrino leaving to John L. Smith for a year was never going to be smooth. There were guys on that roster they wouldn&rsquo;t have taken when he was at Wisconsin. So he needs time to get that done. But they need a boost at the skill positions, such as receiver and cornerback. They just don&rsquo;t have a lot of playmaking there.&rdquo;&hellip;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><br /><strong>Auburn</strong></h5><p><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/auburn-tigers.png" style="width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 3px; float: right;" />&ldquo;Looking at them on defense, they lost Dee Ford and they lost Chris Davis &ndash; just a few players, but if you look at the plays they made in the big games, especially Ford, those are significant losses based on Auburn&rsquo;s body of work. They are going to be missed but they do have a lot of players returning.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;The linebackers will be average. A few of them are just guys.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;The secondary&rsquo;s not tremendous with ball skills but they do have a lot of speed and recoverability. That&rsquo;s their strength.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Up front, I think they&rsquo;ll have the best defensive linemen. Montravius Adams, he&rsquo;s gonna be the next Glenn Dorsey.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Losing the left tackle, Greg Robinson, he was the best in the SEC. I think he&rsquo;s better than the (Jake) Matthews kid.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;If Auburn can develop a passing game, they will be probably the best team in the West.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />Defensively, they are going to stop a lot of people.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;The only time the offensive line matters in Gus&rsquo; offense is when they go from tackle to wildcat, to the three-man side.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;They&rsquo;ll miss (Tre) Mason. They were really high on him.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Can Nick Marshall develop into a passer? If he doesn&rsquo;t they&rsquo;ll have to let their defense keep them in a lot of games. Being one-dimensional can only get you so far.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Obviously they had a lot of success, but they&rsquo;ll want to do something new, because Gus will want to grow that thing and be more multiple. If he can do it, they&rsquo;ll be deadly next year.&rdquo;&hellip;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><br /><strong>LSU</strong></h5><p><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/lsu-tigers.png" style="width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 3px; float: right;" />&ldquo;Obviously losing quarterback Zach Mettenberger hurts them a little bit. They have a couple of talented options coming up there but it will be interesting to see how they develop that talent. Cam Cameron has the personnel to go to a dual-threat quarterback but he&rsquo;s more of a pro-style guy.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;They might have lost a few key players up front but return that good left tackle (La&rsquo;El Collins).&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Those two receivers they had are gone and they were two of the best. I&rsquo;m not really sure who&rsquo;s filling those roles because they got the ball so much.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Obviously the question is, who is the quarterback that will step up?&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;The defense last year was pretty inexperienced and quite honestly weren&rsquo;t very good.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;John Chavis&rsquo; scheme isn&rsquo;t really that hard. He always does a good job hiding deficiencies just enough where he puts players in position to make plays. They had a lot of growing up to do up front. It all depends on how those guys develop. If they don&rsquo;t get better up front, their team won&rsquo;t be better. There really wasn&rsquo;t one from last year that stood out, at least not compared to the standard LSU has set for that spot.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Losing those guys will catch up with them. Slowly, if you lose kids to Alabama or Texas schools, you can still have stars but do they still have quality depth they used to?&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;None of those guys on defense coming back really stuck out to me.&rdquo;&hellip;<br />&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><strong>Mississippi State</strong></h5><p><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/mississippi-state-bulldogs.png" style="width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 3px; float: right;" />&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve always been known for having a big-time defensive lines.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Linebacker Benardrick McKinney, he&rsquo;s a pretty decent player. He&rsquo;s active.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;The guys up front were monsters when we played them. You could really struggle with them. I thought they were pretty impressive. Defensive coordinator Geoff Collins does a good job.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;If they ever get a really good quarterback, they can be pretty darn good. I know they are pretty high on Dak Prescott but since he didn&rsquo;t start all of last season I&rsquo;m not exactly sure what they have in him. He&rsquo;s talented but still a bit of an unknown.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Losing Gabe Jackson on the offensive line is big &ndash; he just mauled people. He created holes that you don&rsquo;t know are going to be there now.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&quot;This is a big year for Dan Mullen, who&rsquo;s done a nice job there but hasn&rsquo;t really broken through. I&rsquo;d imagine they think it&rsquo;s time to do that since they return a lot of starters and they are counting on Prescott to make a jump. But their defense will always keep them respectable. The question is, can they beat the teams they aren&rsquo;t supposed to? They haven&rsquo;t done much of that.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />A lot of their success will depend on which defensive linemen are coming back, and it seems like they are returning a bunch. The best one they have is Chris Jones. He&rsquo;s got NFL-type talent. He&rsquo;s a little raw but the ability is obviously there.&rdquo;&hellip;&nbsp;<br /><br />&ldquo;Mississippi State is an intriguing team. It could go either way for them &ndash; they could break through or be toward the bottom of the SEC West.&rdquo;&hellip;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><strong>Ole Miss</strong></h5><p><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/mississippi-rebels.png" style="width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 3px; float: right;" />&ldquo;They are probably the second-best team in the West, maybe better.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a young defense with really good athletic ability, Dave Wommack a heckuva coach.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;They are going to be hard to beat. Playing them at home is tough.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Bo Wallace is not a big time quarterback but he&rsquo;s functional. He won&rsquo;t really screw it up a lot. Sometimes that&rsquo;s what you need.&rdquo; &hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;The Nkemdiche brothers &ndash; both Denzel and Robert are studs.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Tony Conner is great. He&rsquo;s an absolute stud. They can run up front, on the back end. Great instincts, physical player, everything you&rsquo;d want, he&rsquo;s got it.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;The defensive coordinator keeps it simple enough for them to not mess up assignments. They fly to the football.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Losing Donte Moncrief hurts.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;The offensive line was young but pretty dang good. I think they&rsquo;ll be good up front. The Laremy Tunsil is a darn good player, young left tackle, he&rsquo;s as big time as it gets.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;I like the big Ndemdiche kid (Robert) better. He&rsquo;s more disruptive as a player than his brother. His brother&rsquo;s a good player, good instincts, physical player. I like them both, but if I was in a draft room, the younger one brings more to the defense.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />I think Ole Miss is going to be dang good. Don&rsquo;t be shocked if they win the division. I wouldn&rsquo;t. It&rsquo;s sort of wide open this year with Alabama possibly down and LSU losing playmakers &ndash; they&rsquo;d have to knock off Auburn, which should still be great. Huge year for Hugh Freeze.&rdquo;&hellip;</p><h5 class="athlon-small-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-roman,helvetica;font-size:22px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;"><br /><strong>Texas A&amp;M</strong></h5><p><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/texas-a-m-aggies.png" style="width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 3px; float: right;" />&ldquo;They had really young guys on defense, so the biggest deal with them was they weren&rsquo;t very big and got knocked off the ball up front. Even when they were decent in the secondary, you could run the ball in between the tackles. As long as those guys have stated growing and continue to develop, you won&rsquo;t be able to do that.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;They&rsquo;ll be good on defense. Mark Snyder got a lot of flack last year because people put up some points but he&rsquo;s a good coordinator. He&rsquo;s going to get those guys in position to make plays.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;What&rsquo;s going to kill them is losing not only Johnny Manziel, but a couple of really good receivers and the Jake Mathews kid.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;How well they do as a team depends on how their defense does.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if their offense will have enough firepower &ndash; they&rsquo;ll always be pretty good under Sumlin, but losing a guy like Evans, he was a playmaker. Losing him will really hurt them.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Last year they had a safety that was terrible, defensive line wasn&rsquo;t good, really nobody on defense. Those studs they had in 2012, four guys that were difference-makers. When those guys left, there was nobody.&rdquo;&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Sumlin has always been a good recruiter. They&rsquo;ll get good young players. How soon can they be ready to play is the question? They&rsquo;ve stockpiled a lot of skill guys and some talented defensive front seven guys the last two years so we&rsquo;ll see if they can emerge.&rdquo;&hellip;</p> </div></div></div>Tue, 05 Aug 2014 11:15:00 +0000Athlon Sports72314 at http://athlonsports.comThe Best Stadiums in College Football (Experts Poll)http://athlonsports.com/college-football/top-stadiums-college-football-experts-poll
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p><img alt="" src="http://shop.athlonsports.com/images/v609_2014.jpg" style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; float: right; width: 250px; height: 332px; " />It&rsquo;s a cliché for a reason and it&rsquo;s survived more than 2,000 years for a reason.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;Beauty is in the eye of the beholder&rdquo; &mdash;&nbsp;which some say first originated in 3<sup>rd</sup> century B.C.&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;applies to most subjective arguments hundreds of years later. Especially, when it comes to ranking things in the college football world.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Ranking past teams, current coaches, logos, uniforms and pretty much anything else that can be bantered about on a message board is, by definition, subjective.&nbsp;Part of what makes college football great (in my opinion) is a vibrant college campus on Saturdays in the fall. Nowhere else in sports is the pageantry, passion and connectivity of a sports team and its fans more obvious than at a great college football game.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Colorful tailgating with eclectic menus, picturesque college towns, massive ear-shattering crowds, unique and historic traditions all make college football games special. And varied.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Fans can float to a game in Seattle or Knoxville, eat anything under the sun in Baton Rouge, watch an entire team touch a small stone before sprinting down a hill in Clemson and so much more.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Athlon has polled 15&nbsp;experts&nbsp;in an effort to rank the best college football stadiums and game day atmospheres in the nation. Some, like me, value the tailgating experience, the surrounding area and the intimidation factor of the crowd. Others value the traditions steeped in decades of experience. While others only care about home-field advantage.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>There is no right or wrong answer. Athlon tabulated the&nbsp;ballots, giving each No. 1 vote 10 points all the way to one point for a No. 10 vote. Here is what we learned:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family: helveticaneue-medium, helvetica; font-size: 26px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">The Panel:</h4><p>&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/timbrando" target="_blank">Tim Brando</a>, SiriusXM/Fox Sports</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/brucefeldmancfb" target="_blank">Bruce Feldman</a>, Fox Sports</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/btndaverevsine" target="_blank">Dave Revsine</a>, Big Ten Network</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/slmandel" target="_blank">Stewart Mandel</a>, Fox Sports</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/danrubenstein" target="_blank">Dan Rubenstein</a>, SB Nation</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/bryandfischer" target="_blank">Bryan Fischer</a>, NFL.com</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/travhaneyespn" target="_blank">Travis Haney</a>, ESPN</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/kevinoncfb" target="_blank">Kevin McGuire</a>, NBC Sports<br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/jfowlercbs" target="_blank">Jeremy Fowler</a>, CBS Sports</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/btntomdienhart" target="_blank">Tom Dienhart</a>, Big Ten Network<br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/jcshurburtt" target="_blank">JC Shurburtt</a>, 247Sports</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/zacellis" target="_blank">Zac Ellis</a>, Sports Illustrated</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/mikehuguenin" target="_blank">Mike Huguenin</a>, NFL.com</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/athlonsteven" target="_blank">Steven Lassan</a>, Athlon Sports</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/bradengall" target="_blank">Braden Gall</a>, Athlon Sports/SiriusXM</p><p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family: helveticaneue-medium, helvetica; font-size: 26px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">The Results:</h4><p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p><table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr><td>Stadium</td><td>School</td><td>Points</td><td>Ballots</td></tr><tr><td>1. Tiger Stadium</td><td><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/lsu-tigers.png" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; width: 30px; height: 30px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; " /></td><td>120</td><td>13</td></tr><tr><td>2. Ohio Stadium</td><td><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/ohio-state-buckeyes.png" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; width: 30px; height: 30px; " /></td><td>105</td><td>15</td></tr><tr><td>3. Autzen Stadium</td><td><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/30694-1/Oregon_001.jpg" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; width: 30px; height: 30px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; " /></td><td>64</td><td>12</td></tr><tr><td>4. Kyle Field</td><td><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/texas-a-m-aggies.png" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; width: 30px; height: 30px; " /></td><td>61</td><td>9</td></tr><tr><td>5. Bryant-Denny Stadium</td><td><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/alabama-crimson-tide.png" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; width: 30px; height: 30px; " /></td><td>48</td><td>7</td></tr><tr><td>6. Notre Dame Stadium</td><td><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/i.athcdn.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/notre-dame-fighting-irish.png" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; width: 30px; height: 30px; " /></td><td>47</td><td>9</td></tr><tr><td>7. Neyland Stadium</td><td><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/tennessee-volunteers.png" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; height: 30px; width: 30px; " /></td><td>43</td><td>6</td></tr><tr><td>8. Sanford Stadium</td><td><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/georgia-bulldogs.png" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; width: 30px; height: 30px; " /></td><td>42</td><td>12</td></tr><tr><td>9. Husky Stadium</td><td><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/i.athcdn.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/washington-huskies.png" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; width: 30px; height: 30px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; " /></td><td>36</td><td>7</td></tr><tr><td>10. Beaver Stadium</td><td><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/i.athcdn.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/penn-state-nittany-lions.png" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; width: 30px; height: 30px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; " /></td><td>31</td><td>7</td></tr></tbody></table><p><em>ORV: UCLA (30), Auburn (30), Clemson (30), Florida (28), Michigan (28),&nbsp;Wisconsin (23), Army (19), Nebraska (13), USC (11), Oklahoma (5),<em style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: inherit; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">&nbsp;</em>Virginia Tech (4),&nbsp;Texas (3), Air Force (2), BYU (1), South Carolina (1), Stanford (1)</em></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><em>Listen to Athlon Sports&#39; latest Cover 2 College Football podcast:</em></p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="50" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/2926007/height/50/width/640/theme/standard/direction/no/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/" style="border: none" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe></p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family: helveticaneue-medium, helvetica; font-size: 26px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />What we learned:</h4><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/lsu-tigers.png" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; float: right; width: 60px; height: 60px; " />&bull; LSU&rsquo;s Tiger Stadium, which is going through a major upgrade this offseason, was on all but two ballots and ran away with top billing. Death Valley received seven&nbsp;first-place votes, the most of any team in the nation by a wide margin. Notre Dame Stadium and Neyland Stadium were the only other buildings to receive more than one first-place vote. Tiger Stadium was ranked No. 1 or No. 2 on 11&nbsp;of the 15&nbsp;ballots.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&bull; Ohio Stadium, affectionately known as The Horseshoe, was the only stadium to be on every single ballot. The Buckeyes&#39; home turf was a clear No. 2 and was the only building even close to LSU. It only got one first-place vote from the panel but was no lower than seventh on any ballot.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/texas-a-m-aggies.png" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; float: right; width: 60px; height: 60px; " />&bull; Kyle Field in College Station could easily become the best place to watch a college football game in the very near future. The Aggies&#39; home venue finished fourth, well behind OSU and LSU and just behind Oregon, but with new renovations underway to make it one of the largest buildings in the nation, Texas A&amp;M could easily jump to the top of this list. It was a fantastic place to see a game well before TAMU joined the SEC or upgraded the building.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/30694-1/Oregon_001.jpg" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; float: right; width: 60px; height: 60px; " />&bull; Oregon and Washington have underrated venues among most fans&nbsp;but these media experts don&rsquo;t think so. Both the Ducks&#39; and Huskies&#39; fabulous, high-tech&nbsp;digs landed in the top 10 among experts, ranking third&nbsp;and ninth&nbsp;nationally. Both are extremely scenic and both have produced big winners in the past. Oregon finishing third in the overall rankings might be the biggest surprise of the voting.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&bull; S-E-C, S-E-C, S-E-C. People are tired of hearing it but part of the reason the SEC is the best conference in football is the venues. Five of the top 10 and seven of the top 13 hail from the SEC while&nbsp;eight total stadiums received at least one&nbsp;vote. Interestingly enough, Alabama&rsquo;s Bryant-Denny Stadium was on less than half of the&nbsp;ballots but was no lower than fifth, while Georgia&rsquo;s Sanford Stadium was on 12&nbsp;ballots but was higher than seventh only twice. Florida, South Carolina and Auburn also received votes.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/army-black-knights.png" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; float: right; width: 60px; height: 60px; " />&bull; Small(er) stadiums can be charming for a variety of a reasons and&nbsp;Army&rsquo;s Michie Stadium is a perfect example. It only seats 38,000 people but it landed on three ballots and got one first-place vote for reasons mostly other than football. Overlooking the Hudson River, there are few sights in college football like the West Point cadets marching into a football game on a fall Saturday.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&bull; Seven different buildings got a first-place vote. LSU (7), Tennessee (2) and Notre Dame (2) got the majority of the votes but The Rose Bowl, Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ohio Stadium in Columbus and Michie&nbsp;each got one first-place vote as well.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&bull; Where is the ACC? Clemson was voted as the top choice to catch a game in the ACC but was tied for 11th overall nationally. Virginia Tech&#39;s Lane Stadium was the only other ACC venue to receive a vote (21st).</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&bull; Nebraska and Oklahoma seem to be the most &quot;underrated&quot; buildings to receive a vote but there are some names I was surprised not to see in the voting.&nbsp;The buildings I was&nbsp;most surprised to see go without a single vote: Doak Campbell (Florida State), Razorback Stadium (Arkansas) and Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium (Ole Miss).</p> </div></div></div>Mon, 07 Jul 2014 11:15:00 +0000Braden Gall67933 at http://athlonsports.comRanking the SEC's Quarterbacks for 2014http://athlonsports.com/college-football/ranking-secs-quarterbacks-2014
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/44281-1/BoWallace300_001.jpg" style="width: 265px; height: 346px; float: right; " />The SEC was home to some of college football&rsquo;s top quarterbacks in the nation last year. However, one offseason later, and the conference is essentially rebuilding from scratch at the quarterback spot.</p><p>The list of names departing is heavy: Texas A&amp;M&rsquo;s Johnny Manziel, Alabama&rsquo;s AJ McCarron, LSU&rsquo;s Zach Mettenberger, Missouri&rsquo;s James Franklin, South Carolina&rsquo;s Connor Shaw and Georgia&rsquo;s Aaron Murray.</p><p>After one of the best seasons from the quarterback spot in recent years for the SEC, it will be tough for the league to match that production in 2014. However, the cupboard isn&rsquo;t entirely bare, as Auburn&rsquo;s Nick Marshall is a fringe candidate for All-America honors, and Ole Miss&rsquo; Bo Wallace, Missouri&rsquo;s Maty Mauk and Mississippi State&rsquo;s Dak Prescott are primed for big seasons.</p><p>The conference also has several intriguing options in Alabama&rsquo;s Jacob Coker, Vanderbilt&rsquo;s Stephen Rivers, Kentucky&rsquo;s Drew Barker and LSU&rsquo;s Brandon Harris.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; ">To help compile the rankings, there was some projection involved for 2014. This was not a ranking of quarterbacks based on accomplishments so far.&nbsp;<br /><br />Athlon Sports&rsquo; preseason magazines are set to hit the newsstands in late May/early June, and over the next few weeks, AthlonSports.com will dive into some of the key topics by conference and some of the rankings that will shape preseason predictions for this year.<br /><br /><em style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; ">Writeups compiled by Braden Gall (<a href="http://twitter.com/BradenGall" style="font-size: 13px; " target="_blank">@BradenGall)</a>&nbsp;and Steven Lassan (<a href="http://twitter.com/AthlonSteven" style="font-size: 13px; " target="_blank">@AthlonSteven</a>).</em></p><p style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; "><span style="font-size: 18px; "><strong style="font-size: 18px; ">Ranking the SEC&#39;s Starting Quarterbacks for 2014</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; "><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>1. Nick Marshall, Auburn (SR)</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/auburn-tigers.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />Marshall&rsquo;s career path is one of the most interesting stories for a starting quarterback on the FBS level. After playing at Georgia as a defensive back in 2011, he was dismissed from the team and landed at Garden City Community College in 2012. And after one season on the junior college ranks, Marshall landed at Auburn and led the Tigers to a berth in the national championship game against Florida State. Marshall finished 2013 by throwing for 1,976 yards and 14 touchdowns, while adding 1,068 yards and 12 scores on the ground &ndash; all impressive totals when you consider that was his first taste of action on the FBS level. With another offseason to work under offensive mastermind Gus Malzahn, look for Marshall to take the top spot in the SEC quarterback rankings this year.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; "><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>2. Bo Wallace, Ole Miss (SR)</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/mississippi-rebels.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />With 14 starters back, there is plenty of buzz surrounding this Ole Miss team in 2014. With LSU, Alabama and Auburn each losing some key personnel from last year&rsquo;s teams, the door is open for the Rebels to make some noise in the SEC West. In order for Ole Miss to climb in the division standings, Wallace has to have a huge season. The Tennessee native threw for 3,346 yards and 18 touchdowns last season and added 355 yards and six scores on the ground. The senior has thrown for 40 touchdowns over the last two years but has also tossed 27 picks during that span. Finding more overall consistency as a passer, along with eliminating the turnovers will be a key to watch for Wallace in 2014. Of course, it should help that he is now a full year removed from shoulder surgery (see Missouri&rsquo;s James Franklin in 2013).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; "><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>3. Maty Mauk, Missouri (SO)</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/missouri-tigers.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />Mauk owns every major high school passing record from his days in Ohio, and his short time under center as a freshman a year ago proved his gaudy prep numbers were no fluke. He isn&rsquo;t the largest quarterback - cut more from the Aaron Murray cloth rather than the Zach Mettenberger mold - but he has loads of confidence, moxie, leadership and even some athletic ability. He was thrust into a nasty situation on the road against Georgia and delivered a huge win before leading his team to easy wins over Tennessee, Kentucky and Ole Miss. Mauk finished his freshman season with 1,071 yards, 11 touchdowns, two interceptions and 229 yards rushing. In Gary Pinkel&rsquo;s system, Mauk has a chance to blossom into one of the SEC&rsquo;s best.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; "><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>4. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State (JR)</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/mississippi-state-bulldogs.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />After coming off the bench to lead Mississippi State to an Egg Bowl victory over rival Ole Miss, and a standout performance in the Liberty Bowl, Prescott is poised for a breakout year. The Louisiana native threw for 1,940 yards and 10 touchdowns last season and added 829 yards and 13 scores. Prescott averaged 269.3 total yards per game through eight SEC contests and should build off of those totals with a full offseason to recover from a shoulder injury. There&rsquo;s a ton of upside with Prescott in 2014, especially with a strong supporting cast at his disposal. If all of the pieces come together at Mississippi State, there&rsquo;s a good chance Prescott ranks higher on this list at the end of the year.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>5. Jacob Coker, Alabama (JR)</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/alabama-crimson-tide.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />Despite not taking a snap in an Alabama uniform until this summer, all signs point to Coker as the frontrunner to replace AJ McCarron in Tuscaloosa. Coker graduated from Florida State this spring, and with Jameis Winston entrenched as the starter, he decided to transfer and play immediately at another school. In two years as a backup with the Seminoles, Coker threw for 295 yards and one touchdown on 21 completions. The Alabama native isn&rsquo;t short on all of the physical attributes coaches are looking for in a quarterback. At 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, Coker is ready to handle the rigors of the SEC. Despite the lack of overall experience, Coker has the talent to make an instant impact at Alabama. And if he fails to claim the No. 1 spot on the depth chart, look for Blake Sims or Cooper Bateman to start in the opener against West Virginia.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; "><strong style="font-size: 16px; ">6. Dylan Thompson, South Carolina (SR)</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/south-carolina-gamecocks.png" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " /><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; ">Much like Mason at Georgia, Thompson has been in the Gamecocks system for years and is ready to take over as the starter after sitting behind a historically great player. Thompson got a few starts behind Connor Shaw, and his big arm fits the downfield gameplan Steve Spurrier so desperately enjoys. The South Carolina native threw 127 passes in 2012 and 89 a year ago with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions in spot duty for South Carolina. He has an elite O-Line returning in front of him and a great back in Mike Davis behind him, so success should find the first-year starter in Columbia.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; "><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>7. Hutson Mason, Georgia (SR)</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/georgia-bulldogs.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />Mark Richt was very clear when Aaron Murray was lost for the season against Kentucky with one regular season game left to play: Mason has been ready to be a starter for quite sometime. And after a very shaky start to the Georgia Tech game, Mason proved his coach right by leading a miraculous comeback to top the Dawgs rival in overtime. In his two starts, the Marietta (Ga.) Lassiter senior averaged over 300 yards passing per game and completed over 60-percent of his passes. With a supporting cast that should be even healthier and more talented in &rsquo;14, Mason could be poised to pick up right where Murray left off.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; "><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>8. Jeff Driskel, Florida (JR)</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/florida-gators.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />Driskel is obviously not as good as his five-star ranking indicated when he signed with Florida out of Oviedo, Fla. But he also isn&rsquo;t as bad as fans like to think. He&rsquo;s dealing with his third offensive coordinator during his college career and has shown the ability to make big plays outside of the pocket (ask Tennessee) &mdash; something the new offensive system will foster rather than discourage. Driskel was completing nearly 70 percent of his passes when he was lost for the year in the third game of last season. So if he can prove to stay healthy, his dynamic skillset should flourish in Kurt Roper&rsquo;s up-tempo, spread scheme.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>9. Kyle Allen, Texas A&amp;M (FR)</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/texas-a-m-aggies.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />With Matt Joeckel&rsquo;s decision to transfer, combined with Kenny Hill&rsquo;s suspension in the spring, Allen appears to be the likely starter for Texas A&amp;M when it opens the year against South Carolina. Breaking in a true freshman quarterback on the road is never easy, but Allen will have one of the SEC&rsquo;s top offensive lines blocking for him, along with a talented group of skill players. The Arizona native ranked as the No. 10 overall prospect in the 247Sports Composite and enrolled in time to compete this spring. Expect a few ups and downs as a true freshman. However, the future looks bright in College Station with Allen leading the offense.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>10. Justin Worley, Tennessee (SR)</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/tennessee-volunteers.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />There is little doubt that Worley will be the starter in Week 1 against a talented and upset-minded Utah State squad. He is the most experienced and poised quarterback on the Tennessee roster. That said, he will have to play well against a brutal early schedule to keep his job. Riley Ferguson is regarded as the best pure passer on the roster, but he has yet to play a snap in a college game, while Joshua Dobbs is easily the best combination of athletic ability and maturity. Dobbs&#39; poise, polish, intelligence and work ethic make him a darkhorse to win the job sometime in the first half of the season. Much like last year, fans in Knoxville should expect two &mdash; maybe three &mdash; starting quarterbacks in 2014.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; "><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>11. Brandon Allen, Arkansas (JR)</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/i.athcdn.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/arkansas-razorbacks.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />Allen had his share of struggles in his first season as Arkansas&rsquo; No. 1 quarterback, but he also didn&rsquo;t have much help from an inexperienced receiving corps and remodeled offensive line. Allen&rsquo;s final totals weren&rsquo;t particularly impressive, as he threw for 1,552 yards and 13 touchdowns on 128 completions. He also tossed 10 picks and completed just 49.6 percent of his passes &ndash; two numbers that have to improve in 2014. With another offseason to work as the No. 1 quarterback, combined with the development of the offensive line and rushing attack, Allen figures to have more help from his supporting cast and improvement should be noticeable. However, if he struggles, touted freshman Rafe Peavey will be a name to watch this fall.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>12. Brandon Harris, LSU (FR)</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/lsu-tigers.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />It&rsquo;s a close call for the No. 1 spot in Baton Rouge. Anthony Jennings has the edge over Harris in experience, but he didn&rsquo;t claim the starting spot in the spring, so the battle will continue into the fall. Harris &ndash; a true freshman &ndash; enrolled early to compete in spring practice. And the Louisiana native showed plenty of promise, completing 11 of 28 passes for 195 yards in LSU&rsquo;s spring game. Jennings didn&rsquo;t play well in the spring game but guided the Tigers to a touchdown in the final minute to beat Arkansas and helped LSU win the Outback Bowl against Iowa. If neither quarterback claims the job this fall, it&rsquo;s possible both will see a lot of playing time this year. We will take the upside and list Harris here, but it wouldn&rsquo;t be a surprise to see Jennings take the opening snap.&nbsp; </span></p><p><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; "><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>13. Drew Barker, Kentucky (FR)</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/kentucky-wildcats.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />Barker is a highly-touted four-star early enrollee who had offers from Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Louisville, Miami and both Magnolia State schools from the SEC. Needless to say, he is a gifted athlete. And his showing in Kentucky&rsquo;s spring practice thus far has generated plenty of buzz about his ability to handle the rigors of the SEC as just a true freshman. The 6-foot-4 in-state talent will battle with former starter Maxwell Smith and rising sophomore Patrick Towles for the reigns of Neal Brown&rsquo;s offense in Lexington (Jalen Whitlow has transferred). Barker has the most upside and raw physical talent of the group but is lacking in experience. Should his maturity, confidence and poise develop quickly, he could become one of the nation&rsquo;s better true freshman signal-callers.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; "><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>14. Stephen Rivers, Vanderbilt (JR)</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/i.athcdn.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/vanderbilt-commodores.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />Assuming all of his T&rsquo;s and I&rsquo;s are correct at LSU, Rivers will show up in Nashville this summer as the frontrunner to start at Vanderbilt. The Athens, Ala., prospect has very little experience, playing just four games in his Tigers career but has graduated in three years and will transfer to West End with the best combination of experience and talent on the roster. Derek Mason will give a long look to talented redshirt freshman Johnny McCrary, who has loads of talent but has yet to take an SEC snap, while Patton Robinette proved last year that his upside is fairly limited despite winning games for the Dores down the stretch.</span></p> </div></div></div>Thu, 17 Apr 2014 11:15:00 +0000Steven Lassan64726 at http://athlonsports.comCollege Football's Top 15 Wide Receivers on the Rise for 2014http://athlonsports.com/college-football/college-footballs-top-15-wide-receivers-rise-2014
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/44056-1/StacyColey300.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 327px; margin: 3px; float: right; " />Spring practice is underway for nearly all 128 college football teams, and the countdown to the 2014 season has officially started. There&rsquo;s still a long way to go before August and the start of next year, but it&rsquo;s never too early to start thinking about which players are ready for a big jump in production.</p><p>Earlier this spring, Athlon Sports examined which <strong><a href="http://athlonsports.com/college-football/college-footballs-top-10-quarterbacks-rise-2014" target="_blank">quarterbacks</a></strong> and <strong><a href="http://athlonsports.com/college-football/college-footballs-top-10-running-backs-rise-2014" target="_blank">running backs</a></strong> are on the rise heading into the offseason. Now, the focus shifts to receivers.</p><p>Predicting which receivers will have a breakout season is nearly impossible. With each team having a handful of options in the passing game, catches are often spread out and can also vary from game-to-game. And defensive coverage also plays a large role in how receivers will perform each week.</p><p>While this position is tough to peg in the preseason, there are plenty of possible breakout candidates. USC&rsquo;s Nelson Agholor had a solid year in 2013, but he could be poised for an All-American season with Marqise Lee off to the NFL. Baylor&rsquo;s Corey Coleman is another name to watch with the departure of Tevin Reese. Rutgers needs more consistency from its quarterbacks, but Leonte Carroo is a big-play threat and a receiver on the rise.</p><p>In addition to&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; ">Miami&#39;s Stacy Coley,&nbsp;</span>Agholor, Coleman and Carroo, here are a few other wide receivers that could be breakout stars in 2014.</p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>15 Wide Receivers on the Rise for 2014</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Nelson Agholor, USC</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/usc-trojans.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />Agholor earned a mention in this space last year, and he certainly impressed by catching 56 passes for 918 yards and six scores. While last season was a good year for Agholor, 2014 could be even better. With Marqise Lee gone, it&rsquo;s Agholor&rsquo;s turn to move into the No. 1 role in USC&rsquo;s passing attack. Of course, the return of George Farmer and Steven Mitchell from injuries will factor into Agholor&rsquo;s touches, but new coach Steve Sarkisian should get the Florida native involved early and often in 2014. In addition to his receiving totals, Agholor averaged 19.1 yards per kickoff return with two touchdowns. With Cody Kessler settled into the starting role, USC&rsquo;s passing attack could be improved in 2014.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Leonte Carroo, Rutgers</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/rutgers-scarlet-knights.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />There&rsquo;s a big question mark at quarterback for Rutgers, but if new coordinator Ralph Friedgen can find some stability under center, the Scarlet Knights have a promising group of receivers. And with Brandon Coleman turning pro, Carroo has opportunity to become a No. 1 receiver. He ranked as the No. 29 receiver in the 2012 Athlon Consensus 100 and played in 13 games as a true freshman. In 2013, Carroo was featured more prominently in the passing game, catching 28 passes for 478 yards and nine scores. Carroo&rsquo;s 17.1 yards per catch average ranked No. 3 among receivers in the American Athletic Conference last year.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Sammie Coates, Auburn</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/auburn-tigers.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />Auburn led the nation in rushing last season, but with left tackle Greg Robinson and running back Tre Mason leaving for the NFL, the Tigers could use quarterback Nick Marshall&rsquo;s right arm more in 2014. Marshall made a successful transition from junior college quarterback to a starter in the SEC and should be even better with another offseason under his belt. Coates was Marshall&rsquo;s favorite target last year, catching 42 passes for 902 yards and seven scores. He also averaged a whopping 21.5 yards per catch and had three consecutive 100-yard games in the middle of the season. The average might dip with more receptions, but Coates is poised for a huge season.&nbsp;</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Corey Coleman, Baylor</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/baylor-bears.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />Antwan Goodley is clearly Baylor&rsquo;s No. 1 target, but with the departure of speedster Tevin Reese, there&rsquo;s an opportunity for Coleman or talented sophomore Robbie Rhodes to become an even bigger part of the passing attack in Waco. Coleman was the No. 35 ranked receiver by Athlon Sports in the 2012 signing class, and in his first taste of action last year, he caught 35 passes for 527 yards and two touchdowns. Baylor isn&rsquo;t short on receivers, so Coleman may not make a huge jump in receptions this year. But considering his 15.1 yards per catch average, quarterback Bryce Petty could be frequently targeting the sophomore in 2014.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Stacy Coley, Miami</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/i.athcdn.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/miami-fl-hurricanes.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />Coley became an instant contributor in the Miami passing attack as a true freshman in 2013. In 12 games, Coley caught 33 passes for 591 yards and seven touchdowns. Coley also averaged 17.9 yards per reception, which ranked No. 4 among ACC receivers with at least 30 catches in 2013. With Allen Hurns expiring his eligibility, the Pompano Beach native should be an even bigger factor in Miami&rsquo;s passing game and should be a lock for All-ACC honors in 2014.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Quinshad Davis, North Carolina</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/north-carolina-tar-heels.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />North Carolina&rsquo;s offense finished 2013 on a tear, averaging 40.6 points over the final seven games. Even though left tackle James Hurst and center Russell Bodine will be missed, the Tar Heels should have one of the ACC&rsquo;s top offenses once again. Quarterback Marquise Williams will compete with Mitch Trubisky for the starting job, but Williams&rsquo; experience from 2013 should earn him the No. 1 spot. But regardless of which quarterback starts, there&rsquo;s a plethora of talent available at the skill positions. After catching 61 passes as a freshman in 2012, Davis&rsquo; numbers slipped to 48 receptions in 2013. However, he was more productive in the big-play department, averaging 15.2 yards per catch and reaching paydirt 10 times.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Geno Lewis, Penn State</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/penn-state-nittany-lions.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />Replacing Allen Robinson is no easy assignment for new coach James Franklin. Robinson accounted for 97 of Penn State&rsquo;s 241 receptions last year and led the team with an average of 14.8 yards per catch. The Nittany Lions have a solid collection of young talent at receiver, but there&rsquo;s no clear No. 1 option. Could Lewis be the new go-to target for quarterback Christian Hackenberg? After redshirting in 2012, Lewis was an immediate factor in the receiving corps last year. He played in all 12 contests and caught 18 passes for 234 yards and three scores. Expect the Pennsylvania native to be featured even more in the passing game in 2014.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Jameon Lewis, Mississippi State</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/mississippi-state-bulldogs.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />With quarterback Dak Prescott settled into the starting role, Mississippi State&rsquo;s offense is set to take off in 2014. The Bulldogs have to replace standout guard Gabe Jackson, but there&rsquo;s a cast of talented players at running back and at receiver. Lewis headlines the receiving corps after a standout 2013 campaign. In 13 games, he grabbed 64 receptions for 923 yards and five touchdowns. Lewis was also playing at a high level to close the year, catching at least six passes in each of his last three games, including a 220-yard performance against Rice in the Liberty Bowl. Prescott seems to have a good connection with Lewis, which should allow the senior to catch over 70 passes this season.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Jaydon Mickens, Washington</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/washington-huskies.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />Washington&rsquo;s passing game is unsettled right now, as quarterback Cyler Miles is suspended indefinitely due to an off-the-field incident. The Huskies aren&rsquo;t short on talent at quarterback, however. Jeff Lindquist and Troy Williams are solid options to replace Miles if he doesn&rsquo;t return. Assuming the quarterback situation doesn&rsquo;t become a concern for first-year coach Chris Petersen, Mickens and teammate Damore&rsquo;ea Stringfellow (also suspended) will be two players to watch at receiver. Mickens caught 65 passes for 688 yards and five touchdowns last season but failed to top 36 yards over his last four games. Petersen and receivers coach Brent Pease developed plenty of talent at receiver during their years at Boise State, and Mickens &ndash; the No. 185 recruit in the 247Sports Composite in 2012 &ndash; could be poised to have his best all-around season in Seattle.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Marquez North, Tennessee</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/tennessee-volunteers.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />Tennessee&rsquo;s offensive line is starting over with the departure of all five starters from last year, but Butch Jones has accumulated some intriguing talent at receiver. North made an instant impact as a true freshman in 2013, catching 38 passes for 496 yards and one score. The North Carolina native was a key cog in Tennessee&rsquo;s upset win over South Carolina by catching three passes for 102 yards (<strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL6weYoLf7qRJTvLE0pyA0-q7nGHP-EYW5&amp;v=0zuCLm3ReXM" target="_blank">including a nifty one-handed grab</a></strong>), while 16 of his receptions came against Alabama, Missouri and Auburn &ndash; arguably the top three teams in the SEC in 2013. North needs more help from his quarterbacks this season, and it&rsquo;s uncertain if the Volunteers will turn to Joshua Dobbs again or if redshirt freshman Riley Ferguson takes the No. 1 spot. But regardless of which quarterback starts under center, North is poised to take a step forward in his development in 2014.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Shaq Roland, South Carolina</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/south-carolina-gamecocks.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />Roland was a huge in-state catch on the recruiting trail for Steve Spurrier, and after catching only five passes as a true freshman in 2012, he appears ready to emerge as the No. 1 receiver for the Gamecocks in 2014. In 10 appearances in 2013, Roland caught 25 passes for 455 yards and five scores. Roland also closed last season on a high note, recording six receptions for 112 yards against Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl. New quarterback Dylan Thompson has plenty of experience, but there may be a short transition period from Connor Shaw. However, Roland is poised to easily surpass last year&rsquo;s totals and could sneak into All-SEC consideration if Thompson quickly settles into the job.</p><p><strong><span style="font-size:16px;">Jhajuan Seales, Oklahoma State</span></strong><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/oklahoma-state-cowboys.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />With only eight returning starters, 2014 is shaping up to be a transition year for Oklahoma State. While the Cowboys are unlikely to repeat as the Big 12 champions, Mike Gundy&rsquo;s team should still find a way to be prolific on offense. Quarterback J.W. Walsh has experience, and he will be pushed by incoming freshman Mason Rudolph. Gundy has accumulated some promising talent at the skill positions, led by Seales at receiver and Desmond Roland at running back. Josh Stewart and Tracy Moore have departed at receiver, so Seales is likely to become the team&rsquo;s top target in the passing game. As a redshirt freshman last year, Seales caught 39 passes for 571 yards and three touchdowns. With another offseason to work under Gundy and coordinator Mike Yurcich, Seales is set for a breakout campaign.</p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Ricky Seals-Jones, Texas A&amp;M</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/texas-a-m-aggies.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />Seals-Jones was slated to be a key cog in Texas A&amp;M&rsquo;s receiving corps last season, but an injury sidelined him for the year after the first two games. The Texas native caught three passes for 84 yards and one score in the limited playing time. Seals-Jones ranked as the No. 25 prospect in the 2013 Athlon Consensus 100. The Aggies have a lot of talent in the receiving corps, and a quarterback must be found to replace Johnny Manziel. However, assuming he&rsquo;s back to full strength, Seals-Jones could be the team&rsquo;s No. 1 receiver by the end of 2014.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><span style="line-height: 20px; ">Sterling Shepard, Oklahoma</span></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; "><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/oklahoma-sooners.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />With Jalen Saunders departing, Shepard is slated to become the new go-to target for sophomore quarterback Trevor Knight. The Oklahoma City native ranked as the No. 100 recruit in the nation by Athlon Sports in the 2012 signing class, and he has lived up to the hype through his first two years. Shepard played in 13 games in 2012 and caught 45 passes. As a sophomore in 2013, he started 12 games and grabbed 51 receptions for 603 yards and seven scores. Shepard was playing at a high level at the end of 2013, catching seven passes in back-to-back games against Oklahoma State and Alabama. Assuming Knight picks up where he left off in the Sugar Bowl, Shepard should be among the Big 12&rsquo;s leading receivers in 2014.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/mississippi-rebels.png" style="width: 65px; height: 65px; float: right; " />The Rebels&rsquo; top-10 recruiting class from 2013 should start to pay big dividends in 2014. Treadwell was one of the top prizes from Hugh Freeze&rsquo;s haul in 2013, and the freshman receiver caught 72 passes for 608 yards and five touchdowns. Treadwell&rsquo;s 72 catches led the team, but his 8.4 yards per catch left a little to be desired. However, he is expected to slide to one of the outside receiver spots this spring, which should increase his ability to make big plays downfield. Also, opposing SEC defenses won&rsquo;t be able to devote too much attention in Treadwell&rsquo;s direction, as a healthy Vince Sanders will help quarterback Bo Wallace stretch the field in 2014.</p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>Other Receivers to Watch in 2014</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Markeith Ambles, Houston</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/37461-1/Houstonlogo.jpg" style="width: 40px; height: 34px; float: right; " />Ambles is a name familiar to many in the recruiting world, as he was a five-star prospect by Rivals in the 2010 signing class. After one year at USC, he transferred to Arizona Western and caught 44 passes for 757 yards in 2012. Ambles spent most of last season catching up, as he didn&rsquo;t have a full set of fall practices to learn the offense. In 10 games, Ambles caught 17 passes for 252 yards and one touchdown, with six of those receptions coming in the bowl.</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Victor Bolden/Malik Gilmore, Oregon State</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/40139-2/oregonstate.jpg" style="width: 40px; height: 23px; float: right; " />Brandin Cooks was one of the top receivers in the nation last year, and Oregon State will have a tough time replacing his 128 receptions in 2013. Bolden and Gilmore combined for 13 receptions as freshmen last season and will be a bigger piece of the Beavers&rsquo; passing game this year.</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Quenton Bundrage, Iowa State</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/iowa-state-cyclones.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; float: right; " />Bundrage was Iowa State&rsquo;s leading receiver in 2014, catching 48 passes for 676 yards and nine scores. The Cyclones should be better on offense this year, as former Kansas coach Mark Mangino was hired to call the plays, and Grant Rohach has stabilized the quarterback spot. If Bundrage continues to develop, he could emerge as one of the top receivers in the Big 12.</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Devon Cajuste, Stanford</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/stanford-cardinal.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; float: right; " />Ty Montgomery is Stanford&rsquo;s No. 1 receiver, but Cajuste is a name to watch this season. In 13 games last year, he was the Cardinal&rsquo;s big-play threat, catching 28 passes for 642 yards and five scores. His 22.9 yards per reception average led the nation.</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Reginald Davis, Texas Tech</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/i.athcdn.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/texas-tech-red-raiders.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; float: right; " />Eric Ward and Jace Amaro leave big shoes to fill in the receiving corps for Kliff Kingsbury. However, the Red Raiders have the next wave of standout options ready to emerge in 2014. Jakeem Grant is back after catching 65 passes last year, and Davis is a name to watch this season. As a freshman in 2013, Davis caught 15 passes for 200 yards and three scores.</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Malachi Dupre, LSU</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/lsu-tigers.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; float: right; " />The Tigers were hit hard by departures in the receiving corps. Travin Dural is the team&rsquo;s top returning option (7 catches for 145 yards), but all eyes this fall will be on Dupre. The New Orleans native ranked as the No. 17 recruit in the 247Sports Composite and could be an immediate contributor to the Tigers&rsquo; passing attack this year.</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>William Dukes, FAU</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/florida-atlantic-owls.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; float: right; " />FAU&rsquo;s offense made steady progress late last season, averaging 6.9 yards per play over the final three contests. Helping to continue that development in 2014 will be the return of quarterback Jaquez Johnson, while Dukes is slated to pick up some of the catches left behind by departing senior Daniel McKinney (49 catches for 610 yards in 2013).</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Brisly Estime, Syracuse</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/syracuse-orange.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; float: right; " />The Orange quietly won seven games in Scott Shafer&rsquo;s first season, and with quarterback Terrel Hunt expected to take a step forward in his development, the offense should be improved in 2014. As a true freshman in 2013, Estime caught 28 passes for 257 yards and one score. However, 20 of those came in his last four appearances. The average (9.2 yards per catch) needs to improve, but Estime should be a bigger contributor to the attack.</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Devin Fuller/Devin Lucien/Jordan Payton, UCLA</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/ucla-bruins.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; float: right; " />Shaquelle Evans has expired his eligibility, but the Bruins are still in good shape at receiver with Fuller, Lucien and Payton returning. However, there&rsquo;s one big question facing this group. Which one of this trio will emerge as a true No. 1 target for quarterback Brett Hundley?</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>William Fuller, Notre Dame</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/notre-dame-fighting-irish.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; float: right; " />With TJ Jones gone, and DaVaris Daniels suspended, Fuller and Corey Robinson will have a chance to stake their claim for playing time. Fuller was the No. 276 recruit in the nation by 247Sports in the 2013 signing class and caught six passes for 160 yards and one touchdown last year.</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Rashard Higgins, Colorado State</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/colorado-state-rams.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; float: right; " />Higgins was a good find for coach Jim McElwain on the recruiting trail. In his freshman season with the Rams last year, Higgins grabbed 68 catches for 837 yards and six scores. With four starters gone from the line, as well as the departure of running back Kapri Bibbs, the Rams will lean on the passing attack more in 2014. Expect an even better stat line for Higgins as a sophomore.</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Kam Jones, UTSA</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/30299-1/UTSA-logo.jpg" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; float: right; " />Jones led UTSA by averaging 98.1 all-purpose yards per game and caught 34 passes for 345 yards last year. He should be the Roadrunners&rsquo; top target in the passing game once again in 2014.</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Ermon Lane, Florida State</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/florida-state-seminoles.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; float: right; " />Rashad Greene should be one of the nation&rsquo;s top receivers, but the Seminoles are looking to replace Kelvin Benjamin and Kenny Shaw, so there is playing time available for the incoming freshmen. Jimbo Fisher reeled in some of the nation&#39;s top receivers, including Lane (No. 24 prospect in 247Sports Composite) and Travis Rudolph (No. 43). Look for both players to see snaps in 2014.</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Jordan Leslie, BYU</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/30741-2/BYU.jpg" style="width: 40px; height: 26px; float: right; " />Leslie was an honorable mention All-Conference USA selection after catching 44 passes for 612 yards and seven scores at UTEP last season. As a graduate transfer, Leslie is eligible to play immediately and will help BYU&rsquo;s offense replace standout receiver Cody Hoffman.</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Chris Moore, Cincinnati</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/cincinnati-bearcats.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; float: right; " />The Bearcats should be one of the top teams in the American Athletic Conference in 2014. New quarterback Gunner Kiel is unproven but certainly not short on talent. Shaq Washington led the team with 78 catches last year, but Moore led all Cincinnati receivers with nine touchdown receptions. With Anthony McClung expiring his eligibility, Moore should move up in the pecking order in the receiving corps.</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Ronnie Moore, Bowling Green</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/bowling-green-falcons.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; float: right; " />Bowling Green made one of the top head coach hires of the offseason by picking Dino Babers away from Eastern Illinois. Babers runs a pass-first offense, which should thrive with the return of quarterback Matt Johnson. The Falcons lose their top two targets from last year, but Moore returns after catching 28 passes for 547 yards and seven touchdowns in his freshman campaign. Assuming Moore&#39;s game continues to move forward this offseason, he should be a dynamic weapon in Bowling Green&rsquo;s offense.</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Breshad Perriman, UCF</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/ucf-knights.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; float: right; " />The Knights have an impressive collection of receivers, but a new quarterback must be found with the departure of Blake Bortles. J.J. Worton and Rannell Hall were ahead of Perriman in receptions, but the Georgia native wasn&rsquo;t far behind, catching 39 passes for 811 yards and four touchdowns. Perriman&rsquo;s 20.8 average on receptions ranked fifth nationally in 2013.</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Alonzo Russell, Toledo</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/toledo-rockets.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; float: right; " />Bernard Reedy was one of the MAC&rsquo;s top receivers over the last few years, and he leaves after catching 62 passes for 840 yards and eight scores in 2013. The Rockets are in good hands at receiver, however, as Russell is poised to emerge as the No. 1 target after catching 59 passes and six touchdowns last year.</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Bud Sasser, Missouri</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/missouri-tigers.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; float: right; " />The Tigers are set at one spot with Dorial Green-Beckman, but Marcus Lucas and L&rsquo;Damian Washington depart after combining for 108 catches last year. Sasser caught 26 passes for 361 yards last season and should help fill the void left by Washington and Lucas.</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Tajae Sharpe, UMass</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/30301-1/UMass-Logo.jpg" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; float: right; " />Sharpe was one of the few bright spots for UMass in 2013. He caught 61 passes for 680 yards and four scores in 11 contests. With an upgrade at quarterback in Marshall transfer Blake Frohnapfel, Sharpe could emerge as one of the top receivers in the MAC.</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Joshua Stanford, Virginia Tech</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/i.athcdn.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/virginia-tech-hokies.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; float: right; " />Stanford provided big-play ability for Virginia Tech&rsquo;s offense last season, catching 40 passes for 640 yards and one touchdown (16 ypc). The Hokies need to find a replacement for quarterback Logan Thomas, but Stanford is an emerging star in the ACC.</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Kevin White/Daikiel Shorts, West Virginia</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/i.athcdn.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/west-virginia-mountaineers.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; float: right; " />West Virginia&rsquo;s quarterback situation is unsettled, but the Mountaineers have a promising group of receivers. Daikiel Shorts caught 45 passes as a true freshman, and White was a big-play threat (14.5 ypc) in his first year on campus.</p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Mike Williams, Clemson</strong></span><br /><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/clemson-tigers.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; float: right; " />Clemson&rsquo;s receiving corps has talent, but there is plenty of uncertainty about which players will end up in starting roles. Germone Hopper will miss the rest of spring practice due to academics, and Charone Peake &ndash; returning from a torn ACL &ndash; was limited early in spring workouts. Williams caught 20 passes for 316 yards as a true freshman and should be an even bigger piece of Clemson&rsquo;s passing attack in 2014. However, can he hold off a talented group of incoming freshmen for playing time this offseason?</p> </div></div></div>Thu, 27 Mar 2014 11:15:00 +0000Steven Lassan62522 at http://athlonsports.comTexas A&M QB Johnny Manziel Declares for NFL Drafthttp://athlonsports.com/college-football/texas-am-qb-johnny-manziel-declares-nfl-draft
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>In a move that should surprise no one, Texas A&amp;M quarterback Johnny Manziel has decided to declare for the NFL Draft.</p><p>Manziel leaves College Station after just two years with the Aggies. He claimed the Heisman Trophy in 2012 by throwing for 3,706 yards and 26 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,410 yards and 21 scores.</p><p>Manziel improved as a passer in 2013, throwing for 4,114 yards and 37 scores. And as expected, his rushing numbers regressed slightly, adding only 759 yards on the ground.</p><p>Texas A&amp;M will have a tough time replacing Manziel, but sophomore Kenny Hill and incoming freshman Kyle Allen are two potential stars in College Station.</p><p>Manziel is expected to be a first-round draft pick this April.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>BREAKING: Johnny Manziel will enter the NFL draft. (via ESPN &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/nflnetwork">@NFLNetwork</a>) <a href="http://t.co/f5ebL0VTx8">pic.twitter.com/f5ebL0VTx8</a></p>&mdash; SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/statuses/420974937847762944">January 8, 2014</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div></div></div>Wed, 08 Jan 2014 20:39:25 +0000Steven Lassan47206 at http://athlonsports.comJohnny Manziel Taunts Rice Defendershttp://athlonsports.com/college-football/johnny-manziel-taunts-rice-defenders
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>Texas A&amp;M quarterback Johnny Manziel spent the first half of Saturday&rsquo;s game on the sidelines due to a suspension from the offseason autograph scandal. However, Manziel didn&rsquo;t let that slow him down against Rice, completing 6 of 8 passes for 94 yards and three touchdowns in the second half.</p><p>But the postgame chatter about Manziel wasn&rsquo;t due to his performance. Instead, the sophomore was in the spotlight due to his money gestures after scoring a touchdown, an unsportsmanlike penalty and his jabs with Rice defenders while making an autograph gesture. Coach Kevin Sumlin wasn&#39;t happy with Manziel after the game, as the sophomore did not play after his penalty in the fourth quarter.<br /><br />Check out the reaction from the web compiled in storify by <a href="http://twitter.com/DavidFox615" target="_blank">@DavidFox615</a>:<br />&nbsp;</p><div class="storify"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="no" height="750" src="//storify.com/davidfox615/johnny-manziel-s-second-half/embed" width="100%"></iframe><script src="//storify.com/davidfox615/johnny-manziel-s-second-half.js" type="text/javascript" language="javascript"></script><noscript>[<a href="//storify.com/davidfox615/johnny-manziel-s-second-half" target="_blank">View the story "Johnny Manziel's second half" on Storify</a>]</noscript></div> </div></div></div>Sun, 01 Sep 2013 01:49:37 +0000Steven Lassan26446 at http://athlonsports.comJohnny Manziel Suspended for a Half Against Rice for Autograph Scandalhttp://athlonsports.com/college-football/johnny-manziel-suspended-half-against-rice-autograph-scandal
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>The autograph scandal involving Texas A&amp;M quarterback Johnny Manziel is over. After meeting with the defending Heisman winner and reviewing the facts in the case, Manziel will only be suspended for the first half of Saturday&rsquo;s game against Rice.</p><p>In addition to missing the first half of Saturday&rsquo;s contest, Manziel will have to address the team about the lessons learned from this situation, and Texas A&amp;M will have to revise its education about student-athlete autographs. Seriously, we aren&rsquo;t making that up.</p><p>Manziel is expected to play in the second half against the Owls, but most importantly, the sophomore&rsquo;s status isn&rsquo;t in question for the huge SEC West showdown against Alabama on Sept. 14.</p><p><em>Texas A&amp;M and NCAA released a joint statement concerning Manziel and the investigation surrounding his status:</em></p><p><strong>Statement from Texas A&amp;M University System Chancellor, John Sharp:</strong></p><p>&ldquo;I am proud of the way both Coach Sumlin and Johnny handled this situation, with integrity and honesty. We all take the Aggie Code of Honor very seriously and there is no evidence that either the university or Johnny violated that code.&rdquo;</p><p><strong>Statement from Texas A&amp;M Director of Athletics Eric Hyman:</strong></p><p>&ldquo;Texas A&amp;M University would like to thank the NCAA staff, not only for its fairness and professionalism throughout this process, but also for the expediency of its actions.&nbsp; Texas A&amp;M is a proud member of the NCAA and the Southeastern Conference and, as such, we will continue to abide by the rules governing the association and the conference.&nbsp; Texas A&amp;M is committed to competing with integrity and sportsmanship, and we will continue to ensure strict compliance guidelines for our student-athletes, coaches and supporters.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Statement from NCAA Vice President of Academic and Membership Affairs Kevin Lennon:</strong></p><p>&ldquo;Student-athletes are often asked for autographs from fans, but unfortunately, some individuals&rsquo; sole motivation in seeking an autograph is for resale. It is important that schools are cognizant and educate student-athletes about situations in which there is a strong likelihood that the autograph seeker plans to resell the items.&rdquo;</p><p>Texas A&amp;M and the NCAA will have no further comment on this matter.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> </div></div></div>Wed, 28 Aug 2013 21:40:54 +0000Steven Lassan26382 at http://athlonsports.com2013 Preseason Top 25 Heisman Trophy Candidateshttp://athlonsports.com/college-football/2013-preseason-top-25-heisman-trophy-candidates
<div class="field field-name-field-subtitle field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Subtitle:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Who should be the odds on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy in 2013?</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-next-article field-type-entityreference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Next Article:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">AP Poll: Where BCS Champions Rank in the Preseason</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-content-hub field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Content Hub:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/heisman-trophy">Heisman Trophy</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-related-articles field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Related Articles:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/college-football/ap-poll-where-bcs-champions-rank-preseason">AP Poll: Where BCS Champions Rank in the Preseason</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/college-football/alabama-football-game-game-predictions-2013">Alabama Football: Game-by-Game Predictions for 2013</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/college-football/ohio-state-football-game-game-predictions-2013">Ohio State Football: Game-by-Game Predictions for 2013</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-homepage-featured-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Horizontal Image:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/athlonsports.com/files/Screen%20shot%202013-08-20%20at%202.18.54%20PM.png" alt="Heisman Trophy" /></div></div></div><div class="field-collection-container clearfix"><div class="field field-name-field-whatreading-links field-type-field-collection field-label-above"><div class="field-label">What We&#039;re Reading:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"><div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-whatreading-links clearfix" class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-whatreading-links">
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<div class="field field-name-field-whatreading-link1-exclude field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude Unless Partner:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-whatreading-link2-exclude field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude Unless Partner:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-whatreading-link3-exclude field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude Unless Partner:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-whatreading-link4-exclude field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude Unless Partner:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-whatreading-link5-exclude field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude Unless Partner:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-whatreading-link6-exclude field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude Unless Partner:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div> </div>
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</div></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-vertical-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Vertical Image:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/athlonsports.com/files/Screen%20shot%202013-08-20%20at%202.18.54%20PM_0.png" alt="Heisman Trophy" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-feautred-image field-type-image field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Square Image:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/athlonsports.com/files/Screen%20shot%202013-08-20%20at%202.18.54%20PM_1.png" alt="Heisman Trophy" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-display-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Display Section:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/section/college-football">College Football</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-44 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Section:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/section/college-football">College Football</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/section/other-sports">News</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-49 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CFB Teams:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cfb-teams/alabama-crimson-tide">Alabama Crimson Tide</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/cfb-teams/georgia-bulldogs">Georgia Bulldogs</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cfb-teams/clemson-tigers">Clemson Tigers</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/cfb-teams/texas-am-aggies">Texas A&amp;M Aggies</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cfb-teams/louisville-cardinals">Louisville Cardinals</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/cfb-teams/oregon-ducks">Oregon Ducks</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cfb-teams/baylor-bears">Baylor Bears</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/cfb-teams/usc-trojans">USC Trojans</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cfb-teams/ucla-bruins">UCLA Bruins</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/cfb-teams/arizona-wildcats">Arizona Wildcats</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cfb-teams/south-carolina-gamecocks">South Carolina Gamecocks</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/cfb-teams/florida-gators">Florida Gators</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cfb-teams/washington-huskies">Washington Huskies</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/cfb-teams/fresno-state-bulldogs">Fresno State Bulldogs</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cfb-teams/nebraska-cornhuskers">Nebraska Cornhuskers</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/cfb-teams/miami-hurricanes">Miami Hurricanes</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cfb-teams/northwestern-wildcats">Northwestern Wildcats</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/cfb-teams/stanford-cardinal">Stanford Cardinal</a></div></div></div>Wed, 21 Aug 2013 12:00:00 +0000Braden Gall25980 at http://athlonsports.comAP Poll: Where BCS Champions Rank in the Preseasonhttp://athlonsports.com/college-football/ap-poll-where-bcs-champions-rank-preseason
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>When we sit down to iron out our <a href="http://athlonsports.com/college-football/top-25" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;" target="_blank">Top 25 Poll</a><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"> each year at Athlon Sports, we are trying to project the final year-end standings not build a preseason power poll. It might be a small and subtle difference but an important one to acknowledge.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">We don&#39;t necessarily think Louisville or Boise State is the 9th- or 11th-best team in the nation as they sit in our rankings, but rather, they will finish 9th and 11th in the final polls of the year. Frankly, I would take LSU in a best of anything series against either team but the Tigers&#39; schedule is much more difficult and will likely result in more losses and therefore a lower postseason ranking. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Makes sense, right?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">In 2013, Athlon has predicted the <a href="http://athlonsports.com/college-football/top-25/alabama-2013-preview-predictions" target="_blank">Alabama Crimson Tide</a> will topple the <a href="http://athlonsports.com/college-football/top-25/ohio-state-2013-preview-predictions" target="_blank">Ohio State Buckeyes</a> in the final BCS National Championship Game. Thus, &#39;Bama and OSU are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in our preseason magazine. </span><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">B</span><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">ut when trying to pick your national title winner &mdash; or pinpoint those capable of making a historic run &mdash; there are a few figures to consider.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">The 2013 Preseason AP Poll is set to debut for the first time this weekend. Preseason rankings may seem arbitrary to some, in fact, many believe strongly that polls shouldn&#39;t exist until later in the year. But every one of the 15 BCS National Champions has been ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 and it has been 29 years since a team came from outside of the AP preseason Top 25 to win the AP National Championship (a controversial BYU title in 1984).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">So here are some seriously intriguing factoids to consider:</span></p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/23238-1/Dyer332.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 186px; float: right; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 3px; " /><span style="font-size:18px;">Be Ranked In the Preseason Top 20</span></strong></span><br />Only one team ranked outside of the AP Top 20 has ever won a BCS National Championship. The <a href="http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/top-25/auburn-2012" target="_blank">Auburn Tigers</a> of 2010, behind junior college transfer and relative unknown commodity Cam Newton, began the year ranked No. 22 in the nation. The Tigers are the lowest ranked preseason team in the BCS era to win the title and are the first team outside of the top 20 since 1990 to even clinch a share of the title. Additionally, <a href="http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/top-25/oregon-ducks-2012" target="_blank">Oregon</a> began 2010 outside of the top 10 at No. 11 &mdash; making that BCS National Championship game the only national title contest in the last 30+ years to feature two teams that began outside of the top 10 in the preseason polls. Notre Dame last year is the only team during the BCS era to even make it to the BCS title game without being ranked in the preseason AP Top 25.</p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>Really Though, Be Ranked In The Top 10</strong></span><br />Only four times in 15 years has the national champ come from outside the preseason Top 10. In addition to Auburn, <a href="http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/top-25/oklahoma-sooners-2012" target="_blank">Oklahoma</a> in 2000 was ranked 19th, LSU in &#39;03 was ranked 15th and <a href="http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/top-25/ohio-state-buckeyes-2012" target="_blank">Ohio State</a> was ranked 13th. Only three additional teams since 1984 &mdash; Notre Dame in 1988 (13th), Michigan in &#39;97 (14th) and <a href="http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/top-25/georgia-tech-2012" target="_blank">Georgia Tech</a> in &#39;90 (UR) &mdash; have won the national title starting outside of the top 10. And Tech didn&rsquo;t claim the AP title.</p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>The Top 5 Is the Place To Be</strong></span><br />Five of the last six national champions were ranked in the top five in the AP preseason poll. <a href="http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/top-25/alabama-crimson-tide-2012" target="_blank">Alabama</a> in 2009 and <a href="http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/top-25/florida-2012" target="_blank">Florida</a> in &#39;08 each started the season at No. 5 &mdash; although, it should be noted that Athlon Sports had the Gators No. 1 in &#39;08 &mdash; while LSU in &#39;07 and both of Alabama&#39;s most recent crystal footballs were claimed by teams that were ranked second. <span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">In fact, 17 championship teams </span><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">(including split titles)</span><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"> in the last 24 seasons began the year ranked in the top five. This means, according to Athlon Sports&rsquo; rankings, that there is a better than 70 percent chance that either Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon, Georgia or South Carolina will win the final BCS championship this year. It also means there is less than a 30 percent chance that the champion comes from the other 120 teams. Sorry, Texas A&amp;M, Louisville, LSU and everyone else.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>No. 1 Is Just... Okay</strong></span><br />So where is No. 1 in all of this you ask? Nowhere to be found, at least, not in the last decade. The USC Trojans in 2004 were the last AP preseason No. 1 team to claim the national championship. On top of that, <span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">the preseason No. 1 team in the AP poll hasn&#39;t even played in the national title game since 2006 when Ohio State lost to Florida. In fact, since 1982, only three preseason No. 1 teams have gone on to win the title.</span> <a href="http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/top-25/florida-state-seminoles-2012" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;" target="_blank">Florida State</a><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"> in 1993 and &#39;99 were the only other teams to match the &rsquo;04 Trojans&#39; wire-to-wire dominance. Additionally, more teams have lost the national title game as preseason No. 1&#39;s than have won it during the BCS era. Yes, six trips (of 15) to the BCS title game is a respectable prediction rate &mdash; and obviously most fan bases would take a guaranteed trip to the title game &mdash; but more times than not that team loses. The AP preseason No. 1 team is 2-4 in the big game.</span></p><p><strong>Related:&nbsp;<a href="http://athlonsports.com/college-football/college-footballs-top-10-darkhorse-national-title-contenders" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 20px;" target="_blank">Potential Darkhorse National Championship Sleepers</a></strong><br /><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/28844-1/AJMcCarron332.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 186px; float: right; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 3px; " /></p><p><strong style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">So where is the best spot to be?</span></strong><br />No. 2 is where you want to be when the preseason AP Poll comes out. Five of the last 13 national champions began the season ranked No. 2 in the preseason, more than any other preseason ranking by a wide margin. Alabama in 2011-12, LSU in &#39;07, Texas in &#39;05 and Miami in &#39;01 all won the crown beginning from the second starting spot. The preseason No. 2 team has played in the BCS National Championship Game nine times, more than any other slot. Of the 30 total BCS title game teams, 30 percent have started the season as the No. 2 team in the AP poll. The next highest spot is No. 1 with six appearances, and that position is tied with the AP preseason No. 5 team with just two BCS wins.</p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>Where Not To Be?</strong></span><br />The preseason number you don&rsquo;t want your team to be? Third or fourth to start. No team in the BCS era has won a title beginning the year ranked No. 3 or No. 4 &mdash; despite No. 4 making three appearances in the BCS Championship Game (0-3). Florida in 1996 was the last preseason No. 4 team to claim the title and Miami in &#39;91 was the last team ranked No. 3 in the preseason to win the big prize. So for Athlon&#39;s ranking, this presumably knocks out Oregon (No. 3) and Georgia (No. 4).&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">During the BCS era, teams ranked preseason No. 3, No. 6, No. 8 and No. 9 have never even played in the BCS National Championship game much less won it &mdash; although, USC won the AP title in 2003 ranked No. 8 in the preseason. The No</span><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">. 6-ranked team hasn&#39;t won a title since 1997 (Nebraska) and No. 9 hasn&#39;t clinched the championship since &#39;92 (Alabama). For good measure, No. 11 hasn&#39;t won a title in the last 33 seasons.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">What do all these numbers mean for college football in 2013? Maybe nothing, maybe everything. But the stats do indicate that preseason polls are extremely accurate measuring sticks when attempting to pinpoint the quest for the coveted crystal football. So buy your Athlon Sports College Football preview magazine </span><a href="http://www.shop.athlonsports.com" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">!</span></p><p><em>Here is a quick list of how each of the national champs have ranked in the preseason:</em></p><table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 450px; "><tbody><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Year</strong></span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Team</strong></span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>AP Rank</strong></span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>BCS Runner-Up</strong></span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>AP Rank</strong></span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">2012</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Alabama</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 2</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Notre Dame</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">UR (No. 26)</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">2011</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Alabama</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 2</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">LSU</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 4</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">2010</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Auburn</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 22</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Oregon</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 11</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">2009</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Alabama</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 5</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Texas</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 2</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">2008</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Florida</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 5</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Oklahoma</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 4</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">2007</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">LSU</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 2</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Ohio State</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 10</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">2006</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Florida</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 7</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Ohio State</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 1</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">2005</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Texas</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 2</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">USC</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 1</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">2004</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">USC</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 1</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Oklahoma</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 2</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">2003*</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">LSU</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 15</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Oklahoma</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 1</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">2003*</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">USC (AP)</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 8</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">2002</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Ohio State</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 13</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Miami</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 1</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">2001</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Miami</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 2</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Nebraska</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 4</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">2000</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Oklahoma</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 19</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Florida State</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 2</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">1999</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Florida State</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 1</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Virginia Tech</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 11</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">1998</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Tennessee</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 10</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Florida State</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 2</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">1997*</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Michigan (AP)</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 14</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">1997*</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Nebraska</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 6</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">1996</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Florida</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 4</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">1995</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Nebraska</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 2</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">1994</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Nebraska</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 4</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">1993</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Florida State</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 1</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">1992</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Alabama</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 9</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">1991*</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Miami (AP)</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 3</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">1991*</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Washington</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 4</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">1990*</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Colorado (AP)</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 5</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">1990*</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Georgia Tech</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Unranked</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">1989</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Miami</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 3</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">1988</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Notre Dame</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 13</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">1987</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Miami</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 10</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">1986</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Penn State</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 6</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">1985</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Oklahoma</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 2</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">1984</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">BYU</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Unranked</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">1983</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Miami</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Unranked</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td></tr><tr><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">1982</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">Penn State</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">No. 8</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td><td class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size:12px;">--</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");</script></p> </div></div></div>Fri, 16 Aug 2013 14:30:18 +0000Braden Gall25776 at http://athlonsports.com